A Table for Two at Aquavit

"Would you like to be seated in the Main Dining Room or in the Bistro?"
"Whichever is nicer, I guess."
"Both dining rooms are very nice."
"Right. Of course. Then whichever is available."
"Let me check. The Bistro is available for two at 8:15."
This excerpt from my conversation with the reservationist at Aquavit told me two things about the restaurant that I would be dining at with my boyfriend on Saturday night. The first was that I could relax. I would not need to orchestrate this dining experience to make it worth my while. I would not need to know the insider tips to get my money's worth. Both dining rooms would be lovely and all of the servers would be equally knowledgeable. The lighting and the view would be good wherever we were seated.
The second thing that I got from our little exchange is that the service at Aquavit would be such that (even while relaxing) I will believe that everything has turned out so well because of me: that I have come at the right time, asked the informed question, and ordered the right dish. The fact behind my conversation with the reservationist is that there were not any tables available in the Main Dining room on Saturday night just two days prior. And of course not! But, being a trained service personnel, the reservationist guided the conversation so that I would chose the right option, the Bistro, and be satisfied with my choice.
Suffice it to say, once we arrived on Saturday night, the service at Aquavit was lovely. We were seated by a window and given the kind of casual but flawless service that makes me consider becoming a server again. The meal began with a stone slab of bread, crackers, whipped butter, and the most divine salmon mousse I have ever tasted. I am not exaggerating. My boyfriend even commented that he had never seen me eat so much bread, as I piled the mousse onto yet another piece.
Half way through the appetizer I was just about full. I ordered the mussels and they brought me out two dozen with yet more bread. They were good and traditionally made but nothing to right home about.
For my entree I had the cold poached salmon. Now this I would consider jotting down in a letter to mom. It was accompanied by red quinoa, wax beans, and chervil hollandaise. I just looked up the menu online to tell you that because while I was eating it I had no clue what the little black dots were except that they tasted great with the cold fish and the hot hollandaise.
For dessert I made room for a raspberry Napoleon that was exactly what you would expect. I enjoyed every bite of it and one bite of my boyfriends brownie sundae as well.
Overall, the food was very good. Given the quality of the service and the two stand-out dished that we had - my cold poached salmon and my boyfriend's chilled green tomato soup appetizer - I would call this restaurant great.
I did have high expectations based on Marcus Samuelsson's amazing television personality but in retrospect I see that that may have been silly of me. Not yet have I eaten (or worked!) in a star chef's restaurant that really emulated that chef's television personality. And I guess that's a good thing, or else there would be no element of the unexpected at Mesa Grill or Del Posto.
Speaking of star chefs, I'll be having lunch at Anthos on Thursday. Based on the pictures of the place alone I'd say it resembles Michael Psilakis' television personality but little. Though we shall see, er- taste.